Push
by DracoPotterLovesHarryMalfoy
Summary: Harry sees Malfoy at a small cafe near his house. Draco seems a bit off and isn't his usual self, but then, Harry hasn't seen him for years. Can Harry help him? And maybe help himself too? A tale of friendship. For Kalira69. Inspiration: Push-Matchbox 20
1. Chapter 1

Push

_**I said I don't **_

_**Know if I've ever been**_

_**Good enough, I'm a little**_

_**Bit rusty…**_

Harry was walking back to his apartment after his early morning jog when he approached a quaint little coffee shop and decided to get a cuppa and some breakfast before heading home for a shower. He entered the shop, the bell above the door ringing, and sat at the counter. The waitress, a smiling brunette, walked over to him and asked what he wanted to order. Harry grinned back at her and ordered an espresso and a croissant.

A few minutes later, the waitress was back with his order and set it on the table along with a knife and some assorted jellies. He was about to ask for a spoon when she pulled one out of her apron with a cheeky smile. _Have to leave a nice tip for her, _he thought to himself as he sipped his coffee and watched her leave.

Harry had just about finished his croissant when the bell signaling someone entering the shop rang. It wasn't the first time it had rung since Harry had been in the shop, but it was the first time he felt compelled to look and see who it was.

A young man, around Harry's age, with white-blond hair walked in, his eyes on the floor as he approached the counter where Harry was seated. The waitress seemed to know him because, without speaking to him, she brought him a bagel and a glass of chocolate milk.

It was Draco Malfoy, Harry realized, long since changed since the last time he had seen him. Ironically, Draco had been saving Harry's life at the time. He was much taller and much leaner than he had been then, and much more defeated as well. His eyes no longer held any animosity towards other people (and hadn't since the two years he had worked for the Order), and were downcast, almost sad.

Harry noticed he was staring and looked back at his coffee cup. It occurred to him that he had never thanked Draco. Not just for saving his life, but also for the risk he had taken switching sides, doing the right thing. Well, there was no time like the present.

Harry cleared his throat quietly, but loud enough that Draco could hear. Draco looked up, startled by the sudden noise in the otherwise quiet café. His eyes widened as he took in who was sitting next to him. _Harry Potter, _he thought. They hadn't seen each other in years only to meet in a small _yet well decorated_ he thought, coffee shop. He gulped anxiously and turned ninety degrees until he was facing Harry.

"Draco! Fancy meeting you here! How have you been?" Harry asked at a normal pitch.

Draco shrugged tentatively. Harry had noticed Draco's hesitant movements when he had been staring earlier. It wasn't only towards him but towards everything. The man's hand had been trembling when he had reached fort he grape jam, for Merlin's sake! Where was the suave, confident, proud Malfoy he had known all those years ago?

"What happened to you?" Harry whispered, horrified. No knowing that he had spoken aloud. Draco's eyes looked down again as they had when he had first walked in.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean—" Harry tried to explain, but Draco cut him off.

"'S alright Harry." He got up out of his seat and paid the waitress at the cash register. Harry was still distressed, floundering mentally with ways to apologize for his thoughtlessness when Draco came back.

"See you around Potter." He said it so quietly Harry wasn't sure he had heard it. Draco's lips curved upwards, shaking as if they weren't sure how to make a smile anymore. He managed a small, shy, brief smile, a tiny wave and a sad but graceful exit.

Harry stared after him, realizing as he did that while he had been living, the world and the people in it had been changing.

Harry went back to the café the next day and the next, hoping to see Draco again. There was something about the way Draco was that reminded Harry of something.

The waitress had started looking him strangely, as if she were both amused and annoyed. Eventually, while pouring him a fourth cup of tea, she put Harry out of his misery and took off his ridiculous hat.

"He only comes in here on Mondays and Thursdays. Now stop staring out the window, you're scaring away customers!"

Harry blushed and thanked her for the tea. _Am I really that obvious? _he asked himself wryly. He had really been trying to be stealthy, what with the hat wearing and the sitting in different places. The only flaw was the fact that there was only one waitress who recognized him every time. He shrugged mentally. There was nothing he could do about that.

He finished his tea, paid, and went home. As he walked in the door, hanging his coat and hat, he looked at his calendar and saw that it was Saturday. Smiling, he went up the stairs to his study to read a good book.

Sundays were the days that Harry ventured into the wizarding world and it was only to visit the Weasleys and enjoy a Sunday brunch with the closest thing to family he had. He brought with him his famous potato salad and was walking up the path towards the Burrow when he was attacked by two small orange blurs.

Greg and Fred. George's twins tackled Harry, almost knocking him to the ground with their enthusiasm.

"Unca' Harry!" the twins squealed. Harry chuckled and riffled their hair while simultaneously levitating his bowl of potato salad. Thank God for magic. He was used to this after many afternoons of baby-sitting the five-year-old monsters.

"Hey! How are my favorite nephews?" The terrible two backed up, crossed their arms in a synchronized movement, and grinned in a way far too reminiscent of both Fred and George.

"We're your—" said Fred.

"—only nephews!" finished Greg.

Harry rolled his eyes and ushered the mischievous boys back in the house. As he walked in the door, he was confronted by all the other children in the house who had been alerted by the earlier cries of 'unca Harry'.

Bill and Fleur's girls, Victoire and her younger sister Dominique tugged on the bottom of Harry's trousers, prompting him to get down on his knees so they could kiss him on each cheek. Next, Fred's daughter, Georgina, hugged Harry tightly around the neck before running after her twin cousins. Last, Hermione and Ron's daughter, Rose, gave Harry a wet baby kiss on the nose and giggled as Harry blew into her tummy.

He then went to greet their parents, his friends and family. They caught up on what each of them had been up to during the week. Mr. Weasley had discovered the taster oven and had been making random objects pop out of it in his spare time. Fred and George had been looking for a location where they could open a second gift shop and Ron had been promoted to Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

When everyone was done sharing stories, they all wandered off in groups, the children chasing the gnomes and running after chickens. Harry got Hermione and Ron alone before he told them whom he had seen at the café.

"Oh yeah?" Asked Ron who had called a truce with Malfoy when he had changed sides. "How's he doing?"

"That's just the thing! He's…different." Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"We're _all _different, Harry. No one goes through what we did and comes out the same as they were before."

"No Hermione! I mean he was _really_ different. He wasn't the arrogant prat he's always been! Even when he was fighting with the Order he was…Malfoy-ish! Now he's kind of quiet and shaky and—and weird." He finished dully.

"Harry, " Hermione said, putting a hand on his shoulder. " He's not the only one who's had some difficulties adjusting. How are you doing?" Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, mate. When are you going to move back in from the muggle world? There's always room for you with me an 'Mione." Harry knew this and didn't have an answer. He had just needed to get away from it all. The adoring looks, the glares on the faces of the people suspicious, the hateful looks of the families torn apart by Azkaban. It was too much.

"You guys just want a free baby sitter." He said slyly, lightening up the mood.

"Pfft! You'd kick us out of the house and do it for free if you thought we'd let you!" This was true. Harry loved his little niece to bits and loved taking her out while her parents were busy. She loved being with her Uncle Harry just as much as he loved being with her.

"Speaking of children, why haven't you and Ginny had any yet?" Asked Mrs. Weasley as she passed them, heading towards her husband.

"Ginny says that she wants to finish her career as a Chaser before having children." Harry replied, grinning. It was just as excuse, one both he and his wife used often when their mother asked them. Ginny was a Chaser for the Harpies, so the excuse was valid. Mrs. Weasley winked at him, seeing right through him.

"Lovely dear."

It was that night, when Harry woke up from a strange dream that he realized what Draco had reminded him of. Draco had reminded him of the rusty old tin man in one of the movies that Harry had once seen while living at the Dursley's.


	2. Chapter 2

Push

_I don't know if_

_I've ever been really _

_Loved_

_By a hand that's_

_Touched me…_

Draco was lying in bed, staring out at the night sky through his window, his back to his wife, Astoria. He couldn't sleep. Harry's words were floating around in his head, echoing. _What happened to you?_ What had happened to him? He hated what he had become. He was no longer the strong, forceful, and admittedly arrogant child he had been. He was now a timid, hesitant young man who was ashamed of who he was.

He let out a breath through his nose and shifted slightly, trying not to wake his wife. Astoria mumbled sleepily and pulled her husband closer to her with a hand on his chest under his shirt.

"Draco dear, what are you still doing up?" she asked, putting her head on his shoulder as he rolled over onto his back so he could see her face. She was beautiful with a heart shaped face, full red lips, and waves of glorious light brown hair. She was his angel.

"Astoria? Do you love me?" he interrupted his thoughts with that question. What he didn't know was that he needed to know the answer. Her hand paused in the soothing motions on his chest for a moment before resuming. _Is he okay?_ She wondered.

"Of course I do, sweetheart. More than anything, I love you." She meant it and had meant it for the two years they had been married. She kissed his jaw, pressed her cheek over his heart, placed her hand on his stomach, and went back to sleep.

Draco's mind began turning again as he caressed his wife's cheek. Astoria was the only person Draco knew to really love him, or admit to doing so. She had married him despite what people said about him and despite the fact that his parents no longer spoke to him. She was the best thing in his life, his one constant. A person who loved him.

The next morning, on his way to work, he stopped at his favorite coffee shop for his usual bagel and hot chocolate. He opened the door and went in when someone knocked into him from the opposite direction, and fell to the floor. Draco, winded but still standing, apologized profusely and helped the person up. The person just happened to be Harry Potter.

"Thank you—Oh! Draco! We must stop meeting like this!" Harry looked at him slyly. "What? No 'walk much Potter'?" he said teasingly. Draco shrugged as Harry dusted off the seat of his pants. Harry smiled at him and Draco made a tentative attempt to smile back.

"Were you leaving?" he asked Harry shyly, as if the answer were none of his business. Harry's smile turned to a grin.

"Nope, I was headed outside to make a phone call, but it can wait. What do you say to some bagels?" Draco found himself being dragged to the counter as if he were a reluctant child. The waitress sent him and exasperated grin that made him wonder how often Harry came there.

Harry forced him down and took a seat himself when his stomach growled loudly.

"Oops! I was waiting for you to get here before I ordered anything, figured we could catch up." Draco looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry." Harry looked taken aback. He frowned and lifted Draco's chin with his index finger so the other man was looking at him.

"What are you apologizing for? It's not your fault I was early! So what do you say?"

Draco thought about it. He looked at his watch and saw that there were a couple of hours before he had to be in for work. It wasn't as if his boss would mind, seeing as _he_ was the boss, and going home was out of the question because Astoria wasn't there.

He shrugged. _Why not?_ Harry took this as the 'yes' it was and got comfortable.

"What have you been up to?" The '_since the war'_ remained unspoken, but understood by both. Draco looked reluctant to talk about himself, but Harry was looking at him expectantly.

"Well, I umm…I started my own business." At Harry's nod of encouragement, he continued. "I grow various plants with magical properties that can be used as potions ingredients. I sell them to apothecaries or independent potions brewers like Severus." Harry's face scrunched up at the mention of Snape.

Draco felt a strange emotion bubbling up in his chest. It made him feel light headed, but it wasn't unpleasant. Harry continued with his questions.

"How is your family?" Harry inquired, sincerely curious. The strange feeling drained out of Draco at the mention of his parents. They had refused to talk to Draco after the Final Battle because he had 'betrayed' them by switching sides. He had only done it so that they would be safe. Harry started as Draco's eyes clouded over and became dark. He was thinking that he shouldn't have asked the question when Draco spoke.

"My parents are fine. My father is still in Azkaban and my mother is in France." In actuality, his father had apparently taken ill and wasn't allowed to have any visitors and Draco had no idea where his mother was. Harry was bout to apologize for asking the question in the first place but Draco wasn't finished.

"I married Astoria Greengrass. You might remember her from Hogwarts" As he spoke of her, his eyes cleared and went back to the bright silver they usually were. Harry could see in Draco's face how much he loved her as Draco told Harry that she was in the year below them

Harry watched contentedly as Draco told him a rather funny tale about Astoria and why she never came to work with him anymore. Draco was using his hands to describe the explosion of the _mimbulus mimbletonia_ all over his wife, and all of his timidity was gone.

Draco hadn't felt so at ease for the longest time. It felt rather strange to be talking so much, but every time he tried to taper off, Harry would give him a look so he went on. No one but Astoria ever asked him anything about himself. Not even his employees. He had no friends to sit and tell stories with who would listen with smiles on their faces. No one even said 'Good Morning' to him when he said it to them.

He could barely believe what was happening. He couldn't get his mother to reply to a letter where he was asking how she was doing, but Harry Potter would insist on hearing ever misfortune either he or his wife had had at the hands (or branches) of some of the plants he was growing.

When Harry sensed that he wasn't going to be able to talk Draco into more talking, he regaled Draco with droll stories Ginny had told him about the team and the 'camping trips' they took every so often.

The bubbly feeling in Draco got so strong that it burst out of him like the air from a burst balloon. He _laughed._ He hadn't really, truly laughed in years and it felt _so good_ to finally do so. A weight was lifted off of his chest as the delighted sound left his mouth.

An hour later, both men decided it was time to get back to their normal schedules. Draco had sent a mouse patronus to his employees telling them that he would be late, but he still needed to check on them.

Harry had to get home and phone his wife. She had called earlier in the day saying that she wanted him to call her back this afternoon. He missed her terribly.

As they parted ways, Harry placed a gentle hand on Draco's shoulder. Draco didn't feel like shaking it off as he usually did to any contact he hadn't initiated or non-Astoria contact. The touch felt nice, friendly. It had been too long since anyone but his wife had touched him and not meant him any harm.

"Draco, do you want to have lunch sometime this week?" Harry asked.

Draco's face was still flushed from all the laughing the two of them had done and his eyes were bright. He looked happier, younger.

"Sure thing Harry." He said. And he smiled. Not his usual pathetic attempt at a smile, but a full on, genuine smile.

When Draco got home that afternoon, Astoria had just gotten home as well. They walked into the house together, setting down their bags and taking off their coats. Draco Helped Astoria out of hers because that's the way he had been raised. She kissed her gentleman on the cheek.

The two of them headed for their sitting room where they sat near the fire and Astoria told her husband about her day. She was telling him about some muggles going on about buying a 'load-knower' or something of the sort when Draco snorted in amusement.

Astoria stopped speaking and just stared at her husband. That snort was something she hadn't heard since their Hogwarts days. She was utterly speechless. Draco stared back at her, bemused by her sudden silence.

"Did you just…you know, _express amusement_?" she asked slowly. Draco's eyes widened in understanding.

"If you mean, did I laugh, then yes." He said, just as slowly. _Should I not have? I mean, it's a 'lawn-mower', even _I _know that._

A moment later, Astoria had jumped from her chair on the other side of the fire onto his lap. She kissed him until they were both breathless and her hair was mussed. She smiled widely as she breathed heavily. She loved her husband, she really did. Astoria buried her face in his neck and hugged him tightly.

As soon as Harry got home, he picked up the phone and walked over to his workshop, dialing Ginny's number. He set the phone in its holder and put it on loudspeaker so he could work while they spoke. Harry was a craftsman of a particular type. He manufactured broomsticks. He had only started four years ago, but had already signed contracts with prestigious wizarding schools such as Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, and famous Quidditch teams across the globe.

He had begun polishing a broomstick handle when Ginny picked up. They did this whenever she was on one of her trips. They'd chat while she went over game plays and Harry counted twigs. She was telling him one of the chasers running into the seeker who was practicing her Wronski Feint when she stopped abruptly. The sounds of rustling papers on the phone ceased as well.

Harry also stopped everything he was doing, in case something was wrong on her end. She hadn't spoken for a while and Harry was getting nervous.

"Honey?" He called out. He let out a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding in when she answered a few seconds later.

"Harry, you—you were whistling!" Harry blinked and thought back for a moment. Indeed he had been. So what? He repeated this out loud.

"Harry, you haven't whistled while you worked for years! I was just a bit surprised is all. What's gotten into you? You've been really excited since Saturday." Harry grinned as he thought back on that morning. He had had the time of his life. He hadn't laughed like that for a long time and seeing someone else laugh, making someone else laugh was…liberating. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this good.

"Oh, just met an old friend. We've been…catching up."

**Thank you all very much! When I saw all the favorites and the alerts and saw that people were reading this, I had to get the second chapter up quickly for you guys!**


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